


The Music In Me

by soft_bucky



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, But I'm not sure, Chaptered, Fluffy, Harry volunteers to teach piano, I do not know where this fic is going to be headed to be honest, Louis and Zayn are besties, M/M, The end is going to be fluffy, There might be possible smut, They are also both deaf, angsty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-02
Updated: 2013-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-13 17:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/826889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_bucky/pseuds/soft_bucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has a reason why he goes to volunteer at one of the few schools for the deaf in England. His life is pretty great; if it weren't for his mum who expects so much from him when it is difficult for him to give that much. She's the reason why he has to volunteer, if he could even call it volunteering since it was mandatory. But Louis won't expect Harry to give him as much as his mum expects. Soon, he'll want to be the one to give Harry the world and not expect anything in return because that's what love is after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first thing I am posting that is not pre-written. I was just too excited to not post this. So this is a ongoing process. The rating for this might change cause a lot of the future of this fic is unknown. Comment, give kudos, read my other stories; whatever you want.

Louis and Zayn are walking down the crowded hallway with headmaster Layne, going to meet someone that she wanted them both to meet. It’s not like they couldn’t go to class a little bit late.

“Did you both turn in your university essays yet?” She signs to them.

“Yeah. When we graduate, me and Lou are gonna be roommates.” Zayn signs with a smile.

“Yeah definitely. Best mates for forever.” He’s grinning and Zayn laughs and goes in for their handshake that they made up when they were little which Louis reciprocates, still remembering the hand movements.

They round the corner and Ms. Layne rolls her eyes in good nature.

“You do know that you have to study more than you party, right? Uni is much harder than secondary school.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Louis shrugs.

“Good morning Harry.” Ms. Layne says aloud when they approach the boy who just finished pushing the large piano out of the room he was just in. Harry smiles at her.

“Listen mum, I have to go. Yeah I’m at that school and I’ll call you when I’m done.” The boy says into the speaker. He presses end call and locks his phone before pushing it into a front pocket in his jeans. He looks between Louis and Zayn and Ms. Layne.

The woman turns her attention to the two attendants of the school. “Harry is going to be volunteering here for a while to teach piano.” She informs the two of them.

Zayn and Louis exchange a look and the blue eyed boy eyes Harry up and down once with a skeptical look. Harry doesn’t happen to notice.

“Have you been playing at all?” The headmaster asks Harry.

“I mean I wouldn’t really call it playing. I just know some basic stuff from when I took some lessons a bit ago.” Harry shrugs.

“That’s great; I’m sure they’ll love it. This is Louis and Zayn. They’re students here.” She introduces them both.

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” Harry signs out.

Louis raises his eyebrows at him for a moment before responding. “How’d you learn ASL?”

“I took a class for two years for some extra credit.” Harry smiles.

“Well you should take it again.”

Zayn snickers. “Yeah deaf kids really love playing piano.”

Harry’s smile falters a little but he still keeps it. “I just figured since some can feel the vibrations of music…”

“Of course we can. See?” Louis randomly hits a few keys on the piano. “Feels absolutely beautiful.”

Zayn sniggers and Harry frowns.

“Louis! What is your problem? She wants to help and I think that it’s a nice thing.” The headmaster scolds him.

“Oh really? Do you actually want to or is it just for extra credit?” He looks right at Harry who looks angry or more like annoyed.

“I don’t really know why you’re talking like this since you don’t even know me.” He responds faster than usual with the red furls of anger coursing through his veins.

“Oh really. I’ve seen your type. You’re a posh, blazer wearing, Oxford bound, kiss arse.” His eyes narrow just as angry as the boy in front of him.

“Louis, that’s enough!” Ms. Layne says.

“And you’re the supposed big shot at the school who tries to make trouble and act out but is really just a scared little boy at heart who is probably so stupid that he can’t pass most of his classes. Just like in the movies.”

“Harry!” Her attention goes to Harry instead. Usually Louis was one of the nicer boys in school so she didn’t know why he had taken such a disliking to Harry.

Harry doesn’t pay her any mind, instead takes a step closer. He was leaning on the piano before; but at full height, he was at least three inches taller than Louis.

“You’re not disabled. You’re just pathetic.” His jaw clenches and he turns to the headmaster.

“Sorry, but maybe this won’t work out.” Harry then storms off, leaving the piano where it was and the three people there, left staring after him as he went around the same corner they entered.

“Louis! To my office, now.” She tells him once stepping out of the stupor that she entered when the altercation happened and Louis knows that she’s pissed.

He sighs and turns to Zayn. “I’ll see you later, alright?”

Zayn smiles. “Yeah. Bye.”

Louis turns to the headmaster and walks behind her to her office like a dead man walking because his parents don’t want him in trouble again. But there was something about that Harry kid that flicked a switch inside him. And he doesn’t know if that anger was directed towards the boy or what he was trying to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why Louis is being a jerk will be explained in the first chapter! This is just a prologue!


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once it gets past dialogue and introductory stuff, it'll get into dialogue and feelings. That's when the chapters will get longer. And in case you can't tell, Eleanor goes to Louis' school and is deaf too.

Louis doesn’t see Harry for  a few days after that. But when he does, he sees the boy walking in the courtyard from his room. Louis quickly pulls on his shoes and coat and goes outside to meet up with him.

As soon as Harry spots the other boy coming over and hears the crunching footsteps in the snow, he turns to see him.

“Why are you here? You’re not done criticizing me?” Harry asks.

Louis smiles slightly. It was more of an upturn of the corner of his lips. “Ah sorry. I was having a bad day. Usually I’m not that much of a jerk.”

Harry pauses before saying “I guess it’s okay. You’re actually kinda funny. When you’re not insulting. But I also have a shite sense of humor.”

Louis laughs and Harry smiles in return.

“I guess I should be apologizing too. I was mean and you were slightly right. You do know why I’m here, right?” Harry inquires.

Louis tugs his lips to the side and raises his eyebrows when he shrugs.

“I hear gossip. But I don’t trust it often. But you were driving home drunk from a party supposedly? But if you tell me and say something stupid, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear.” He covers his ears with both hands and Harry manages to genuinely be mirthful with laughter.

“Actually I had a roe with my mum. A major one. I was pissed and sad and upset. So I thought that drinking some whisky would help”

Louis nods in understanding and shoves his hands deeper in his pockets.

“Why were you fighting?”

Harry scoffs. “I only got a B+ on my English essay.”

Louis frowns. “Well that’s shitty of her.”

Harry shakes his head at the boy in front of him because he didn’t understand. His parent’s weren’t as strict as his mum. “No I understand why she does it. She didn’t come from a great home and just wants me to better than what she had, so she pushes me hard. Really hard.”

Louis nods and they don’t really find anything else to talk about in the moment.

“You know, the quiet here is really relaxing. It’s nice.” Harry comments.

“I can find this sense of quiet anytime. It’s beautiful; something hearing people wouldn’t understand. No offence to you.” Louis remarks.

“Teach me to understand.”

Louis really likes Harry. He usually doesn’t meet or like many people who are hearing and some of them treat the deaf kids differently or as if they are scum. And the ones that he’s met wouldn’t want to give it a chance. To find peace.

“You have to hear with your eyes. That’s what I do.”

Harry looks confused. “You hear with your eyes?”

Louis nods as if it’s the most easily understandable thing in the world. He smiles at Harry for a moment before leaning on his heels and falling back into the snow.

“What are you doing?” Harry definitely thinks that this Louis guy is a tad off his rocker.

“Just fall back. Trust me.”

And when those icy blue eyes that breathe joy and trust look into Harry’s, Harry thinks that he can at least trust him with this. So Harry falls on his back right next to Louis.

They stare at the clouds for a moment and Harry finds himself looking at Louis from the side; his angular cheekbones, feathery brown strands of hair dusted with white flecks of snow, delicate eyelashes grazing against his cheek when he closes his eyes, the stubble smattered across his jaw and cheeks.

He opens his eyes and catches Harry’s green eyes on him. His eyes crinkle at the corners when he grins at the boy across from him.

“I think want to know what you sound like you know.” Louis absently says.

“You do?” Harry asks in awe.

Louis nods his head, feeling the icy crystals of snow against his scalp now and tickle the back of his neck. “Describe it?”

“I mean I don’t know. It sounds like, me. Y’know?”

Louis nods his head. “Yeah. I know.”

He and Harry stay looking at each other for a few moments, definitely having a moment between the two of them. Louis shifts a little closer to Harry but then Harry looks up when he hears footsteps approaching. Upon seeing the movement, Louis looks up too. When he sees who is approaching, he stands up and Harry does the same.

“What the hell are you doing?” Eleanor signs angrily.

“Looking at he sky. Chilling out.” Louis answers.

“Why are you with him? I saw you just now.”

“Wait, you got it all wrong-”

“Listen. He’s with me and not going to be with you. I’m his girlfriend.” She turns to Harry.

“Actually you’re not my girlfriend. You got it wrong about us. This little fling that we had isn’t going to work out. It’s over.” Louis makes sure that she sees what he’s saying.

He mouths sorry and she’s speechless from anger for a moment before crossing her arms angrily, stomping her foot.

“You’re mine. And don’t you forget it.” Is the last thing she says before storming off.

Louis pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation and sighs.

“Um crazy ex girlfriend you got there.” Harry says awkwardly.

“If you could call it that. We snogged at a party I threw and a few other times after that. Sorry but I think I’m gonna go.” Louis says more tired than ever just after talking with Eleanor.

Harry nods and Louis turns around and walks back inside to go to his room. He feels like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders after he was finally free of Eleanor. But he also is tired from just being with her, so he takes off his winter clothes, flops down on his bed, and sleeps.


	3. Chapter 2

Louis decides that he likes Harry enough to make an actual effort to become friends with him. Usually he doesn’t hang out with hearing people but with Harry, it’s different. So he sometimes stops by the piano room after his friend is done teaching piano to the students at the school. At the moment, Louis can’t find Harry around anywhere and Eleanor just tried to talk with Louis again before history class ended.

He’s made it clear multiple times that he really doesn’t like her romantically or want anything to do with her but she keeps trying to get him to “see things rationally.” When the teachers dismissed them from their classes, Louis left with everyone. But he walked around aimlessly until the last of the late students scurry into their classes.

To blow some steam off, he walks around the empty and silent white halls of his school when everyone is in class and finds that the wooden door to the piano room is cracked open.

He pushes the door open more to get inside before shutting it back to just a crack of an opening. His feet lead him across the dimly lit room and he sits on the worn old wooden stool and places his fingers on the shiny smooth white keys that beautifully contrast with the black smaller ones. He looks at the sheet music that was left on the stand from it’s previous user; wondering if he could still play. His eyes scan the little black dots and lines before him before starting to move his fingers.

Harry just reached the school to set up for his class when he hears a beautiful melody flowing quietly from the piano room and down the hallway. The boy quietly enters the piano room where he sees Louis playing, blue eyes scanning the notes on the pages. He waits until he’s done to sit next to him at the piano’s old wooden bench.

Louis smiles upon seeing Harry again.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you could play?” Harry asks him.

“I used to play when I was little.” Louis shrugs.

“That was really amazing though.” Harry says proudly. Louis was easily one of the best people that wasn’t a famous composer or pianist he’s heard.

“I mean I played a bit before I was deaf.”

“Oh really? Where?” Harry asks curiously.

Louis smiles and says “Small concert halls.”

“Really? That’s amazing! I wish I could play that good. So you were a prodigy?”

“Essentially.” Louis says indifferently.

“Do you still, play?” Harry questions. He just took an interest in Louis, and well; this was interesting.

“No. Why would I?”

“Well Beethoven still played when he was deaf.” Harry points out.

“Well he composed and played only for the rich.” Louis signs along with his voice naturally coming out in a soft whisper that just happens naturally sometimes.

“What are you playing?” Harry asks.

“Chopin. His chords are very visual to me.”

“What do you mean by visual?” Harry questions.

“I picture it in my head as if the snow is falling. It’s like quiet but impacting.” Louis shows him by playing another piece from his memory. But he stops with a sigh and clenched fists when he can tell that he messes up.

“No it was beautiful. You don’t have to stop.” Harry places a hand on top of one of Louis’ smaller daintier ones when he’s done telling him what needs to be said.

“I said I don’t play. Why would I continue when I know I suck?”

“You do not suck. You’re just putting yourself down. There must be a way for you to hear again. Have you thought about a cochlear implant?” Harry asks.

Louis shrugs. Harry can see that he’s a little upset, so he leans over to give him a side hug. Louis reciprocates the action and when he pulls away from Harry’s hold, he turns his head only to notice that his face is centimeters away from Harry’s.

They stay like that for a moment before Harry decides to close the space between them and presses his lips to Louis’. Harry’s fuller ones move in sync with Louis’ thin pink ones and Harry is the first to pull away from Louis.  That was easily one of the best kisses that he’s had with a guy. And the same can be said for Louis.

They open their eyes and look at each other for a moment. Louis smiles a small smile at him and Harry knows that kissing him was a good choice. It made him feel good and from what he can see, it made Louis feel good too.

“I’m gonna get going. Bye Harry.” Louis says still smiling before grabbing his things and walking out of the room.

As Louis walks out of the room, Harry sets up for the class that he actually came to teach and finds himself humming the tune that Louis was playing just mere minutes before and thinking about Louis’ lips on his and how he would definitely want that to happen again. And that’s how he knows that he’s got it bad for the deaf blue eyed boy.


End file.
